User devices, including cellular phones, have become both expensive and desirable. This has made such devices targets for fraud against cellular carriers and for theft in retail stores and in transit to users. A user device rendered unactivatable or useless may discourage fraudulent behavior and theft by making the device less desirable and less valuable. Some anti-theft and anti-fraud approaches such as equipment identity register (EIR) blocking and other anti-theft solutions may apply only after purchase. Others, including remote subscriber identify module (SIM) unlock (remote SIM unlock, or RSU), may only have scope for specific carriers.